


Gone to the Dogs

by LadyFerrum



Category: Hellsing
Genre: Based on Comixqueen's Tumblr comic, Basically a rewrite of the series, Except with more comedy and way less soul-crushing sadness, Gen, Hellhound AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFerrum/pseuds/LadyFerrum
Summary: For generations, a hound straight from the depths of Hell itself has guarded the Hellsing family and the surrounding countryside. Nowadays, it prefers to cause more mischief than mayhem. That may have to change soon with that new threat on the horizon...





	1. Chapter 1

A black wet nose was lowered to the ground as it took in a couple of whiffs of the earth that was below it. A snort came out as the nose was lifted back up. The scent of the morning’s rain was still fresh and from it sprang memories of previous trodders that came before. Lips curled to reveal glistening white fangs in the moonlight.

_“What a perfect night. This is the kind of night that makes me want to chomp down on flesh and bone,”_ the Hound thought aloud to himself.

With that, he began to walk into the forest that stood before him. He pressed his nose to the ground once in a while to find more scents that could lead him to a good meal, but nothing was of interest to him so far.  
  
A small cry reached his ears as he started to sniff again. The hound stilled for a moment to pinpoint the source of the cry.  
  
If his ears were not deceiving him, it would sound like the cry belonged to a creature that was most likely vulnerable and no larger than the kit of a fox. The Hound figured that while the creature will not sate his hunger, it was a lot better than returning home with an empty stomach.  
  
He proceeded to creep steadily towards the direction where the cry was coming from.  
  
In the far-off distance, he could make out a soggy cardboard box lying out at the end of the forest. Words were scrawled on the side of the box facing him that read:  
  
**Police dog** **  
** **Free 2 gud home**  
  
As he came closer, a small yellow head popped out of the box and stared right at him.  
  
Startled by the Hound’s appearance, the Pup yelped and retreated back into the box.  
  
The Hound went over to peer into the inside of the box and saw the tiny Pup curled into a corner, shaking heavily.  
  
_“Please don’t eat me! I'm just a little thing, and I probably won't be very filling for you. I don't know where I am, but I know I want to go home. My owner has most likely forgotten me is all._ _He’ll remember and return here as soon as he can to come get me once he realises it.”_  
  
A toothy grin appeared on the Hound’s face, amused by the Pup and her naïveté.  
  
He let out a howl of laughter, causing the pup to nearly jump out of her fur.  
  
_“Nonsense, I have no interest in eating you. I lost it the moment I saw this pathetic excuse of a box. I can tell you now that your owner will not be returning.”_  
  
The Pup stared at the Hound in shock at his bold statement.  
  
_“That’s absurd! My owner would never abandon me! I was given orders to sit and wait for him. It’s all part of the training for becoming a member of the police force! Although I have to admit that this is the longest I have ever waited for him.”_  
  
The Hound narrowed his eyes at the last fact.  
  
_“How long have you been waiting?”_  
  
The Pup paused as she tried to recall the moment her owner left her.  
  
_“I don't really know. I was soundly sleeping in my bed one moment and the next thing I knew, I woke up in this box. It was dark, and I heard his voice telling me to stay and be good so I’ve been doing just that. I assumed that he was just going away for a bit, but he never took this long.”_  
  
Tears began to form in the Pup’s eyes as she realised the words that she was saying held the implication that she had been abandoned.  
  
She did not want to believe it, but it was clear that the Hound in front of her knew more than he was letting on.  
  
She looked up at the hound in search of an answer.  
  
_“Have I truly been abandoned?”_  
  
The Hound lowered his head, unsure of how to respond without further distressing the Pup with what he knew. The writing on the side of the box was evident enough that the Pup had indeed been abandoned for whatever reason.  
  
Given that the surrounding area was a remote forest, it was unlikely that any other human or in his case, dog, would find the Pup after him. She had been left out here to die from exposure and starvation with only a wet cardboard box as her shelter. She was also much too small to be able to climb out of the box which made her current predicament much worse.  
  
The Hound knew that he could not stand for this and started to hatch the idea that had been ruminating in his mind since he first saw the Pup.

  
                                                                                                       --------

The Hound’s lowered head was enough for the Pup to understand. She let out a whimper before sinking to the very bottom of the box.  
  
After everything that she had been through in her short life, she was now going to die in a place that was foreign to her and without anyone she knew.  
  
The Pup kept questioning herself in her mind over and over, trying to find reason as to what she had done wrong to end up deserving such a cruel fate.  
  
She figured that the Hound would be leaving shortly as she was certain that he only came to entertain himself since he failed to find food. She wished now that the Hound was interested in eating her so that she would not have to suffer like this now that she knew that she was facing certain death.  
  
But it also would not hurt to ask for help either.  
  
_“Do you still desire to fight?”_  
  
The Hound’s piercing question interrupted the Pup’s thoughts.  
  
She hesitated for a minute, unsure of what the Hound meant.  
  
_“I wish to live if I can.”_  
  
_“Will you join me then to be amongst the Wild Hunt and become a creature of the night?”_  
  
It was apparent that there was no other choice for the Pup.

If she was getting a second chance to live, then she did not care what it entailed as long as she could keep going on.

_"Yes.”_  
  
The Hound gave a soft smile, his eyes twinkling.  
  
_“Let us go home then.”_  
  
The Pup jumped to all fours.  
  
_“Y-yes!”_

  
                                                                                                       --------

The Hound watched in amusement as the Pup, in her excited state, struggled to climb out of the box to join him.  
  
Chuckling, he reached into the box and gently grabbed the Pup by her scruff with his mouth. He then brought her down to the ground.  
  
_“It is a long walk to home; it would be impossible for you to keep up with me as you are still young, allow me to carry you until we arrive.”_  
  
The Hound opened his mouth to pick the Pup up again when she spoke suddenly.  
  
_“Before we go, may I ask for your name?”_  
  
The Hound smirked.  
  
_“I am called Alucard by my Master, and what are you called, young one?”_  
  
The Pup wagged her tail. No dog had ever asked for her name before, and she always enjoyed hearing humans saying her name. Expect when she done something wrong, of course.  
  
_“Seras Victoria! Victoria was the surname of my owner, so it’s just Seras usually. I think it actually goes back to-”_  
  
While Seras rambled on about her name, Alucard looked at the horizon to see the night sky become lighter with each passing minute.  
  
Time was running out, and Alucard did not want to keep his Master waiting any longer.  
  
_“Well, we must make haste now before the sun rises. You can ask more questions later.”_  
  
With that, he picked Seras up and bolted out of the forest.

  
                                                                                                       --------

Alucard only slowed down once his home finally came into view.  
  
It was a tall manor with acres of rolling countryside surrounding it. The road leading to its façade was lined with privets that had been pruned in such a precise manner that it would put even the best gardener to shame.  
  
_“That Butler really is something else,”_ Alucard mused. He made a note to himself to check out the privets later to do some digging.  
  
Upon reaching the front door, Alucard placed Seras down and roughly tapped the door with his paw. Seras quickly scurried to sit alongside him as they waited for the door to open.  
  
She never noticed just how large he was. He easily stood over all of the dogs that she had seen in her life. His shaggy fur was also a deep black that seemed to absorb all light around him and he had large blazing crimson eyes. He looked unworldly now that she could see him more clearly in the early morning light.  
  
Too unworldly in fact.  
  
_“Um…,”_ Seras began to speak in a small voice, barely audible.  
  
_“What is it?”_ Alucard replied.  
  
_“If I may ask, what are you exactly?”_  
  
Alucard slowly turned his head to face Seras, grinning widely.  
  
_“Why, I am a Bearer of Death. I wander around on less traveled roads to seek out those who would dare to cross them. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to encounter me and gaze into my eyes will meet their most untimely demise shortly thereafter. But worry not, little one, as my powers have been sealed away by one of my previous Masters long ago. I am just a pet who occasionally hunts for food now.”_  
  
Seras shivered.  
  
Even though she was no longer in danger of dying, she was still deeply unsettled by the mention of it; she was glad though that Alucard was not like how he used to be, however, his appearance still managed to give her fright.  
  
There was a click as the door became unlocked.  
  
_“Stay close to my side and do not speak until I tell you so, young one,”_ Alucard ordered.  
  
The door creaked open slowly.  
  
Alucard walked swiftly into the entryway of the manor with Seras right beside him, blending seamlessly with his dark mass of fur. He stopped in front of the elderly man who had been holding open the door to acknowledge him.  
  
“Welcome home, Alucard,” The man bowed slightly. His gentle tone of voice made Seras feel at ease. She did not completely understand what he was saying, but she knew that he was addressing Alucard based on his movements.  
  
“Good to see you, Walter. I see you’ve done a fine job with those hedges out there.”  
  
Seras almost gasped when she heard Alucard respond. She managed to quickly close her mouth before any sound could escape and ruin her cover.  
  
_“What’s going on? I thought he said he was just a normal dog now because his powers were sealed away. Did he only mean that he could no longer kill with that gaze of his? What other powers could he have then?”_   She thought to herself.  
  
Seras shook her head.  
  
It was not the time now to worry. She was going to meet her new owner soon, and could not wait to see them.  
  
Walter smiled warmly, humbled at Alucard’s compliment.  
  
“It’s nothing. I hope that you’re not thinking of finding another way to ruin them again. Sir Integra was quite upset with what you did last time.”  
  
Alucard chuckled.  
  
“We’ll see.”  
  
Walter sighed heavily. This dog was going to spell the end of this family.  
  
“Very well then, Sir Integra is waiting for your report in the study. It would be best to make your way at once.”  
  
Bowing again, Walter promptly shut the door as Alucard began climbing the stairs leading up to the study, making sure that Seras kept up with him.

  
                                                                                                      --------

The door to the study was ajar when Alucard and Seras finally reached it.  
  
Within the study sat a young woman, reading a paper in one of the antique wingback chairs, her fingers tapping impatiently on the armrests.  
  
Alucard could sense that his Master was in an unpleasant mood. He knew he had taken too long with his nightly patrol of the countryside, and now it had cost his Master precious hours of sleep. Convincing her to keep Seras was not going to be an easy task.  
  
That was not going to stop him from trying, though.  
  
Alucard pushed the door all the way open and with a shake of his head, signaled to Seras to remain where she was.  
  
Seras did not really mind that she had to wait at the door as she figured that Alucard wanted to formally introduce her to their owner himself.  
  
Alucard went to where the feet of his Master lay and brought his head down to them.  
  
“You’re home late, Alucard,” She never lifted her eyes from the paper while she spoke.  
  
“My apologies, Master, I lost track of the time.”  
  
Her frown deepened in response.  
  
“It’s not like you to lose awareness of the surroundings. Was there some sort of unusual activity out in the country?”

Alucard got up from his Master’s feet and laid his head on her knees.  
  
“There was nothing out of the ordinary, except for an abandoned pup I found in the forest near Cheddar.”  
  
She nodded intently.  
  
“I see.”  
  
Alucard began to wag his tail in anticipation.  
  
“Can we keep it?”  
  
His Master paused for a minute as she processed his request before lifting her eyes from the paper.  
  
“Keep it?”  
  
Alucard quickly went over to the door and gently grabbed Seras by the scruff again before placing himself back at his Master’s feet with Seras hanging limp in his mouth in front of her.  
  
“Please?”  
  
His Master groaned as she brought a hand to her face.  
  
“Alucard, you can’t just-” She began stumbling over her words as she tried to reason with him. The puppy-dog eyes that Seras was making at her were not helping in the matters.  
  
“Master, I believe that she can be put into good use for us; in the brief time that I have known her, she has shown me an indomitable will, unlike any that I have ever seen in a pup as young as her. I implore you, Integra, to give her a chance to prove herself to you,” Alucard begged, his voice muffled by the fur.  
  
Integra looked pensively at Seras. It was clear that the argument was in Alucard’s favor.  
  
If she rejected Seras, it would be likely possible that she would not be able to find a new home for the pup and the act of euthanising would fall onto her. It was an outcome that Integra wanted to avoid altogether as it would not benefit anyone.  
  
But she was not going to back down yet.  
  
“What if she fails to do so?” Integra challenged, raising an eyebrow at Alucard.  
  
“Then the fault falls unto me and I’ll make sure to never bring another pup to you again. Allow me to teach her the ways of guarding this land.”  
  
Satisfied with his answer, Integra took Seras out of Alucard’s mouth and placed the pup on her lap.  
  
“Very well, as long as you bear the responsibility of raising her up, I have no qualms with her staying with us.”  
  
Alucard bowed his head deeply in gratitude.  
  
“Thank you, my Master, I will not let you down.”  
  
Integra started to pet Seras’ head.  
  
“Has she been given a name?”  
  
Alucard smiled smugly, remembering Seras’ little ramble about the meaning of her name.  
  
“She has told me that she is called Seras.”  
  
“Seras,” Integra echoed.  
  
Seras let out a small bark at the sound of her name. She was finally where she belonged.  
  
_“Well, it looks like I have two dogs now,”_ Integra smiled to herself.  
  
And all was well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you all for the kind comments and kudos! It means a lot!  
> Second, if you want to find me outside of here, I'm constantly on [Tumblr](https://constitutionalstandstill.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/YippieJess)  
> Finally, Happy early year of the dog!

**Ten Years Earlier**

 

Integra sniffled as she wiped the tears in her eyes. She had been summoned in haste early in the morning by the family doctor to have her say her final goodbyes to her father before he was to pass on from his illness.

His condition had made a turn for the worse during the night and it was feared that he would not live to see the end of the day.

Kneeling by his bedside, Integra gently clasped her hand around her father's, his eyes slowly opening at the feather touch of her fingertips upon his. His breathing became shallower as he tried to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.

“My dearest Integra, you must listen carefully to what I am about to tell you.”

A sob escaped from Integra’s lips as her father struggled to breathe, letting out a sharp gasp to draw in more air into his lungs before he spoke again.

“I do not have much time left here and as you are my only child, I will leave you to inherit the Hellsing name for yourself and to provide protection to Queen and country from outside forces that will do us harm.”

“Yes, Father,” Integra let out a shaky breath.

Her father managed to crack a small smile despite his pain.

“There are still so many things that I wanted to teach you and it is unfortunate that I will be unable to do so, but I can however offer you one last piece of advice. Come close, my dear.”

Integra slowly released her father’s hand and shuffled closer towards him, leaning in as much as she could to hear his advice, his voice now inaudible to all but Integra.

“If you are ever in need of salvation, go into the dungeon and head for the farthest door. Therein lies your savior. Heed this advice for only when your life is truly in danger. It is not for trivial matters. Do you understand?”

Integra nodded her head.

Her father then brought his hand to cup her tear-soaked face, shaking terribly from the effort. She held his hand in response, giving it a light squeeze.

With his remaining strength, he raised his voice to address everyone else in the room.

“My last request is that my brother, Richard, will watch over and provide support to my daughter when she needs it. It is all I ask for.”

Richard, standing a little way from the bed, promptly bowed his head in a solemn manner.

“You have my word, brother.”

Integra’s father looked back at Integra and spoke softly again as his hand that was cupping her face fell back to his side. His eyes began to grow heavy on him and his breathing became shallow again.

“You are my pride and joy, Integra. May you never forget that for the rest of your years. I know you’ll make a wonderful mark on the Hellsing name. Stay strong and do not weep for me once I am gone for my suffering will come to an end and I will be able to watch over you in the Kingdom of Heaven where we’ll someday meet again. Be good now, my daughter, I love you dearly. Farewell...Integra.”  

He then closed his eyes and took his last breath.  

 

\--------

“We still haven’t been able to locate her, sir.”

Richard gritted his teeth in frustration at the news.

“Well then, try to draw her out. The manor may be large, but she can't hide forever. Look again and make sure this time you leave nothing unturned.”

He clenched his fists as he tried to remain calm.

“Twenty years I’ve waited for my brother to die so that I may become the head of Hellsing and now it goes to that little girl...”

 Richard turned to face his men.

“Find her quickly and put an end to her. Remember to keep it quiet so that it doesn't arouse suspicion to the rest of the staff. Go!”

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them and headed towards the study, unaware that a pair of eyes were watching him from the ventilation shafts above.

 

\--------

Integra began to crawl slowly as Richard left the hall.

Earlier in the day, she had overhead her uncle and his men plotting to dispose of her while she was casually strolling by the study.

Knowing the immediate danger she was in and with none of the other house staff in sight, she scurried off to find a spot to hide.

She nearly gave up after combing through the manor when she felt a draught of air suddenly. She gazed up at the vent above and studied it carefully, realising that she could easily hide inside it and evade capture.

Integra fumed in her thoughts.

_"That Richard, it's only been three days since father's death and now he's already trying to become the head by getting rid of me. He's nothing more than a greedy scumbag.”_

Recalling her father's last advice, Integra took a deep breath and started her crawl towards the underground sect of the manor.

 

\--------

“Has she still not been found?!”

Richard spoke in a harsh whisper as he met up with his men in the same hallway from earlier.

“It shouldn't be that hard to find a child like her.”

His men shifted uncomfortably in response before one of them spoke up in a calm voice.

“The entire manor has been searched thoroughly and there was nothing new to be found.”

He paused briefly as he reached into one of his pockets on his blazer and pulled out a map.

“However, the basement’s still unchecked.”

Richard growled low in his throat.

“Enough with the excuses, we don't have time for this. You said the basement’s the only place left?”

He brought a hand to his chin in thought.

“It hasn't been opened for the past twenty years. From what I remember, it was used for research purposes.”

Richard then took the map and made a mark at the entrance of the underground sect.

“Tell the others that we’re heading there. That's where she’ll be.”

He folded the map and handed it back to the level-headed gentleman, pulling out his gun and loading the rounds into it.

_"Run all you want, Integra, but you can't hide forever from your uncle.”_

 

\--------

Integra quickly made her way into the dungeon and locked the door with a soft click. She shook it to make sure it was done correctly before sighing.

“It’s only a matter of time before they find me. I really hope what father said was true.”

Integra walked to the end of the room and slumped down onto the floor, pressing her knees to her chest as she waited for Richard and his men to come.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something black besides her and nearly jumped as she turned to get a better look at it.

A mummified corpse of a hound was near her feet and from its looks, it was apparent that it had seen better days.

“The poor thing must’ve gotten trapped in here by accident unless…”

Integra did a scan of the room before turning her attention back to the hound.

“This really can't be my savior, can it? A dried-out dog? How is it supposed to protect me?”

She looked up to the ceiling. “Father, what kind of joke is this you’ve left me with?”

Sighing heavily, she brought herself closer to the hound.

“It looks like I'm trapped in here too, I hope you're alright with that. You look like you might have been a good dog.”

Integra brought herself close again as she felt the all-too-familiar prick in her eyes.

“I thought I would find a knight down here, but I guess it's only just in fairytales. I really wish I lived in one now.”

She glanced at the hound once more.

“Instead, there's a dead dog that's been in here for twenty years.”

Integra put her head down onto her knees.

“Father, why?”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she realised that the end was near.

“I’m going to die and I don't want to, I really don't-”

There was a loud bang as the door was forced open by the butt of a rifle.

“We found her, sir, she's in here!” One of Richard’s men cried out.

Integra shrieked in fright just as Richard stepped into the room.

“Well, well, looks like you hid yourself quite nicely, Integra. We went through a lot of trouble just to find you.”

Integra got up to face her uncle.

“Uncle, would you really dispose of me and become the next head of Hellsing? Have you no shame for what you are doing? Are you nothing more than a low-life?”

Richard struck Integra across the face, sending her to the ground.

“Silence! A child like you has no rights to Hellsing!”

Seeing the hound next to Integra, Richard gestured to one of his men to come over to inspect it.

“What is this?”

The man shrugged.

“Not a clue, there’s no record of it anywhere. It probably got stuck here and couldn’t escape.”

The man prodded at its sunken eyes and lifted the lips to expose the fangs that glistened white despite the condition of the rest of the body.

“Yeah, it’s just a dead dog alright.”

Richard whipped out his gun and pointed at Integra, who could only freeze in fear of what was next.

He fired a shot, the bullet grazing Integra’s right arm and splattering blood all over the corpse of the hound.

Integra cried out in pain.

“Your ear’s next, Integra, don’t think I’m going to let you die so easily after everything’s that happened.”

Richard was about to fire again when a strange licking sound was heard.

Everyone including Integra turned to see that the hound had become alive and was lapping at the spilled blood before it, its ragged tongue dragging across the floor.

It then lifted its head at Richard and opened its eyes slowly.

For a moment, there was only stunned silence as everyone tried to take in the scene before them until the hound pulled itself up and let out a bone-chilling howl, revealing its massive size.

The cool gentleman was the first to break the silence afterwards.

“Impossible, the dog's alive! How can that be?”

Richard shifted his eyes in disbelief between his men and the hound.

“I-I don't know. My brother never mentioned anything like this.”

Regaining his senses, he shook his head and snapped his fingers at his men.

“Don't just stand there, shoot them both! Give Integra a companion for her trip to Hell!”

Before any of Richard’s men could lift their guns to aim, several pairs of eyes opened on the top of the hound's head and it quickly pounced on them, mauling their bodies in a grisly manner.   

Shaking, Richard attempted to shoot the hound, but it appeared that it was absorbing the bullets in its mass of dark fur with each shot.

The hound then came up to Richard, who was trembling with fear, and pressed its nose to his open hand, taking a long stiff of his scent.

“Worthless,” The hound finally spoke in a gravelly voice.

“Stop right where you are!” Richard cried.

With that, the hound grabbed the gun from Richard’s grasp with its jaws, twisting his hand until a sickening crack could be heard.

Richard screamed as he collapsed from the resulting pain while the hound dropped the gun and went over to Integra, laying at her feet.

“Are you alright, Miss Hellsing?”

All Integra could do was gape in shock at the hound, unable to speak.

“I am in servitude to you. Please give me an order,” The hound continued.

Integra’s thoughts raced through her head.

“ _A hellhound?! The Hellsing’s family secret is a hellhound?! What on earth could father have done with it to have it end up down here?”_

As Integra gathered her thoughts together, Richard dragged himself towards his gun and grabbed it, staggering back up and pointing the gun at her.

“Hellsing belongs to me! I'm the rightful heir!”

Richard cocked his gun.

“It will be mine!”

Richard fired at Integra’s head only to have the hound intercept the bullet, crushing it with its jaws.

“You have an awful smell, Richard. I could never serve someone with a stench like that. No bath in the world can remove it, I’d say.”

Noticing a gun nearby, Integra picked it up and aimed it at Richard, who could only freeze in terror.

“What is your name, hound?”

“Your ancestors have called me many things, but none of them have ever given me a name. You are free to call me whatever you like,” the hound smiled, wagging its tail.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Integra fired.

 --------

Integra stumbled out of the underground sect, clutching the hellhound who had now morphed into a regular pup.

Upon reaching the study, she saw Walter in there with a grave look on his face as he frantically searched the room.

“Walter?”

The butler looked up and noticed Integra, relief flooding through him.

“Good heavens, child, where have you been? You’ve given the staff here quite the fright with your disappearance. They’ve been looking everywhere for you and Uncle Richard as you two didn't come when dinner was called. I hope everything's alright?"

Walter then briefly caught a glance of the hound.

“And what do you have there?”

Integra shuffled her feet as she tried to explain what transpired during the day.

“Well, earlier today, I overhead Uncle Richard discussing plans to get rid of me in order to takeover Hellsing and I fled to the dungeon to hide. I found this puppy while I was in there and it saved me from him.”

At the last part, the hound licked its blood-soaked lips while smirking mischievously at Walter, who blinked in surprise at the display before clearing his throat.

“Well, um… that's quite an adventure, my lady. Has the puppy been given a name yet?”

Integra grinned widely.

“Yes, I’ve named it Alucard!”

Walter arched a brow.

“Alucard, my lady?”

Integra nodded.

“It reminds me of the Count from Bram Stoker’s novel and I thought Alucard sounded better than Dracula.”

Walter gave a thoughtful look while narrowing his eyes at the hound, signaling his distrust.

“I see. Well, come along now, let’s get you cleaned up and in some new clothes. You’ve had quite the day today.”

Walter took Integra’s hand and led her to the bathroom.

 --------

 

**Present Day**

 

Seras jumped into a privet, scattering dirt and leaves all over the place as she poked her head out from the other side to look at Alucard.

_“Like this?”_

Alucard shook his head.

_“Not quite. Your entrance was too messy and noisy. You’ll have to be sneakier than that if you want to catch something that can be a meal for you. Act like you are a creature of the night.”_

Like a shadow, Alucard blended right into the privet and appeared on the opposite side of Seras with a nightingale in his mouth. He quickly wolfed it down and licked his lips as Seras watched on.

_“See?”_

Seras grimaced, her mind hung up on the poor little bird.

_“Yes…”_

 --------

Integra sat on a bench not far from Alucard and Seras, musing to herself while she read the paper.

“Could ten years have already passed since that day?”

Alucard’s voice interrupted her thoughts as he strode over to her.

“Do my ears deceive me or is that actually Integra being nostalgic about the past for once?”

Integra snorted.

“I don’t believe that’s anything to be nostalgic about.”

Alucard made a face of a kicked puppy.

“Not even of meeting me?”

Integra frowned slightly.

“Well, of course I’m glad to have met you, but given the circumstances that we met under, it doesn’t make much for a fond memory now does it?”

Alucard pouted.

“True, but I can tell you’re still a child at heart like when we first met.”

Integra folded up the paper she was reading.

“I’m no child, Alucard, anyone can see that.”

Seras came over and placed herself besides Alucard, having overheard the conversation.

Alucard had recently taught her how to understand humans in her short time here and soon after, she desired to partake in conversations too, but she could only communicate with barks and whines so Alucard stood in for her as a translator to Integra and Walter.

_“I see her as that scary lady from the telly.”_ Seras said softly.

Alucard snickered as Integra raised a brow at him and Seras.

“What’s so funny?”

Alucard struggled to keep a straight face.

“The pup said she sees you as Margaret Thatcher.”

Unable to hold it any longer, Alucard then howled with laughter as Integra’s mouth twitched.

“Oh, is that so? Perhaps she’ll like some obedience classes to have that mouth of hers trained better. Come here, you!”

Integra scooped Seras up and began to tickle her. Seras squealed with delight as Alucard looked on, tail wagging.

“Do me next, Master!”

Integra put Seras back down and stroked Alucard’s head.

“You’re too big for me now, Alucard.”

Alucard gave a defeated look.

“What about a good old scratch behind these ears then?”

Integra couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, I can’t say no to that.”

One of Alucard’s legs began thumping as she scratched his ears. After she finished, she patted his back.

“Off you go now you two, it’s getting late.”

Seras and Alucard walked back to the manor as Integra herself got up from bench and took in the scenery. She had to admit that there was something ethereal about the countryside at night with the stars flickering in the sky and the moon illuminating the trees nearby.

That’s when she noticed the gaping holes in the privets and the dug-up dirt.

“Alucard!”


End file.
